VAL'S 4PATRIOTS FIRESIDE STEW w-MOROCCAN FLAVOR Recipe for 4

Val's 4Patriots Fireside Stew w-Moroccan Flavor

A couple weeks ago, I bought some dried fruit packets - tonight, I used some of that fruit in our supper meal 👩‍🍳‍🍲

I was going through the 4Patriots Meal Packets, and thought a light stew would be good … then, I thought, "why not jazz it up a bit, add meat, veggies, and spices - some Middle Eastern spices would be nice" 🥩🍠🍅🥒🧄🍃 (and break my husband in, on exotic flavors, gently … 1 periodic dish at a time) 🌴🍽️😘

Val's 4Patriots Fireside Stew w-Moroccan Flavor Recipe ~serves 4

1/2 pkt. 4Patriots Fireside Stew Dry Mix * 1-lb. Hamburger * 1 large Onion, sliced * 2 cloves Garlic, pressed * 1/2 tsp. Ginger, powder * 1/2 TBSP Ras el Hanout (a Moroccan spice blend; recipe below) * 1 large sweet potato, skin on, diced * 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes * 1/4 head of Cabbage, thinly sliced * 1 large zucchini, diced into large pieces * 1/3 Green Bell pepper, diced * 1/3 Red Bell pepper, diced * 5 c. Water * 2 pkt's dried Persimmons, chopped * 12 ct. dried Small Figs, halved

Lrg. Soup Pot * Cutting Board * Lrg. Kitchen Knife * Measuring Cups & Spoons * Garlic Press * 1 Lrg. Cooking Spoon * Supper Bowls & Silverware

Ingredients

1) In pot, place onion, garlic, & meat; cook until meat is browned, garlic is fragrant, & onion is translucent.

2) Add spices; stir in 4Patriots Fireside Stew Dry Mix, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, & water; reduce heat to a simmer & cook 20 minutes.

3) Add zucchini and bell pepper: simmer until zucchini is tender, but not mushy.

4) Finally, stir in the persimmons and figs - simmer for 5 minutes more.

5) Serve & enjoy!

Homemade Ras el Hanout (a Moroccan spice blend)

This smells so good! And adds an exotic touch to your meal.

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons red chili powder

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons ground mace

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

3/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves - ground to powder = about 1/8 tsp.

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl - store the spice mix in an airtight container.

VAL'S 4PATRIOTS MAC & CHEESE/SPAM STOVETOP CASSEROLE; Castle Rock-WA

Val's 4Patriots Mac & Cheese-Spam Stovetop Casserole

Every once in a while I get a yen for cafeteria food; today was such a Day 😉

We had gone for a short drive - and on the way home, I said, "How about we have macaroni & spam casserole for supper 🍽️ tonight? I didn't thaw anything out - and the casserole will be quick, easy, and just right for tonight's supper fare."

Holland readily agreed ☺️

I made it for him, for the first time - in Ocean Park-WA, last year. This one-pot meal 🍲 was a new taste for Holland … and a new experience for me to make it with a 4Patriots meal packet. But, it turned out well. 

This year's mac & cheese casserole was not as spicy: and the vegetable addition was different, too. We liked it - and I hope you will, too.

NOTE: The thing I do to keep the sauce smooth, is separate the noodles and dry sauce mixture; then I whisk the powder together with the water before I add it to the pot.

Val's 4Patriots Mac & Cheese/Spam Stovetop Casserole ~serves 2

4Patriots Mac & Cheese dry mix, 1/2 pkt. * 2 c Water * 1 10-ounce-can Cream of Mushroom & Garlic Soup * 1 tsp. Margarine * 1/2 sm. Onion, chopped * 1/3 Green Bell Pepper, chopped * 1 c. Spam, diced (half a canned Spam loaf) * 1/4 tsp. Black pepper, ground * 1/4 tsp. Mustard, powder * 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce * 1-1/2 c. Frozen Green Peas, thawed

1 Med. Cooking Pot * 1 Cutting Board * 1 Lrg. Kitchen Knife * Manual-Pull Food Chopper * 1 Lrg. Cooking Spoon, slotted * 1 Ladle * 1 Lrg. Pyrex Measuring Cup * Measuring Cups & Spoons * 1 Small Whisk * Supper Plates & Silverware

1) Gather, and prepare your ingredients, so the process will flow smoothly:

4Patriots Mac & Cheese dry mix, half pkt.; separate noodles from powder. Crush the dry powder to a fine dust.

Mushroom-Garlic Soup & Spam; Spam halved & cubed.

Onion & Pepper, chopped.

Worcestershire sauce & seasonings; Peas set to thaw.

2) Place margarine in pot and add onion, green pepper: sauté until onions are translucent, & pepper bits are tender.

3) Add soup & meat - blend thoroughly.

4) In the Pyrex Measuring cup, whisk the dry sauce mixture into the water; pour over blended veggies, meat, soup, & macaroni. Stir until mixture is smooth.

5) Add spices, macaroni, & gently stir in peas.

6) Bring mixture to a boil; then lower heat to medium-high and cook until noodles are soft - about 20 minutes … stirring frequently.

7) Turn heat off and let sit for about 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken up. Serve with a side of buttered bread.

VAL'S 4PATRIOTS CREAMY RICE, VEG'S & DRUMSTIX SUPPER Recipe; Coalinga-CA

The weekend just seems to beg for a chicken supper - that my story anyway; and I'm sticking to it 😉

This afternoon, I pair chicken drumsticks with a 4Patriots dry mix supper blend (these packages are almost gone; Holland wants to try a different brand in 2026) … with one of my favorite messianic musicians playing softly in the background 😊

4Patriots Survival Food Bin; we gave the Tropical Drink away, I use the oatmeal for dessert bases (cookies, fruits crisps, ect.): I kept the large plastic bins for storage containers.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPcUJ49tOig&list=PLvWZ3tkpPVFusfVue5kHqSUWSKpkeIwQi&index=61)

For me, it is easier to prepare the ingredients ahead of time, before commencing with the cooking: there is less time in the kitchen during cooking - which is good in the hot weather here in Coalinga-CA, and less dishes to do following supper, because the prep dishes have already been done and out of the way 👏

Ingredients.

Prepare veggies …

4Patriots dry mix Creamy Rice & Vegetable Supper. Rice separated from dry sauce mix, with a med.-size mesh strainer; spices added & blended.

Val's 4Patriots Creamy Rice, Veg's & Drumstix Supper Recipe ~serves 2

1/2 pkt. 4Patriots dry mix Creamy Rice & Vegetable Supper * 4 chicken legs, browned * 1/2 Red Onion, sliced * 1 lrg. Carrot, grated * 2 stalks Celery, sliced * 1 lrg. Garlic clove, pressed * 1 can Green Beans, cut * 2 1/2 c. Water * 1 tsp. fresh Rosemary leaves, cut * 1 TBSP fresh Parsley, cut * Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste * Olive Oil Cooking Spray * lrg. Skillet w-lid * Cooking Tongs * Cooking Spoon * 1 Dinner Plate * Paper Towels

(1) Heat 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken legs and brown - with tongs, remove from skillet & drain on a plate, over paper towels. DO NOT WIPE SKILLET - you want all that yummy chicken goodness to flavor the meal.

Fry chicken - set aside, under cover.

(2) To the skillet, add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until onion is translucent & veggies are tender.

Sauté veggies until tender.

(3) Open dry mix pouch & pour over mixture in skillet; add water, garlic, green beans, seasonings, & bring to a boil: 

Add dry sauce mix, & half the water ...

Stir to thoroughly blend smooth with veggies.

Add rice,  dry veg's, gr. beans, & remaining water; stir.

Reduce heat to medium, place chicken pieces atop creamy rice mixture, put lid on skillet & cook for *20 minutes. Remove lid & cook an additional 20 minutes, or until rice is done; occasionally stirring to keep mixture from sticking to skillet.

Add drumsticks; reduce heat & cook 'til rice is tender to bite.

*I use a propane fired gas stove, so my cooking time is always varying. 20 minutes is the standard total cooking time for a 4Patriots packaged meal. My stove takes a little longer. Adjust your cooking time as needed.

(4) Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes to thicken before serving.

This skillet supper was really good; a definite repeat 👍

VAL'S 4Patriots CREAMY RICE & VEGETABLE SUPPER w-CHICKEN Recipe; Ocean Park-WA

My husband really liked this quick made meal 😊👍

Val's 4Patriots Creamy Rice & Vegetable Supper With Chicken

Tonight's supper was based on a reliable old-fashioned "comfort food" meal 😘

I used ready, simple ingredients: frozen & thawed pre-cooked chicken - and didn't have to spice the dish up, because the cooked meat had already been sufficiently "flavored":

VAL'S EASY-PEASY CROCKPOT CHICKEN SUPPER: Ocean Park-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/07/vals-easy-peasy-crockpot-chicken-supper.html

Leftover chicken in the freezer is so convenient to have it on hand for recipes such as this one. And a 4Patriots dry supper mix that already had the rice, basic flavoring (you can add more flavoring to suit your taste), and sauce base in it - what these food packets lack by way of tasty flavor, they do make up with creamy texture.

4Patriots Survival Meal packets take up little storage space, and are light weight.

Onion, celery, carrots & peas, was an easy veggie combination for this recipe; and added colorful eye appeal, as well as tastiness. And because my new husband grew up on Southern cooking loaded with lots of butter, I always add at least some butter to our meals - but I am allergic to milk, so I cook with half butter/half margarine in recipes: that way, both our tastes are satiated 👌

Val's 4Patriots Creamy Rice & Vegetable Supper With Chicken ~serves 3

1/2 pkt. of dry-pack 4Patriots Creamy Rice & Vegetable Supper * 1/2 a Chicken Breast, COOKED & cubed (you don't have to be precise, the meat is already cooked through) * 2-1/2 c. Water * 2 TBSP. Butter (or, as I cook - 1 TBSP. butter & 1 TBSP. Margarine) * 1/4 c. Onion, chopped * 1 stalk Celery, chopped * 1/2 c. frozen Carrot & Pea Veggie Combination * 1 clove Garlic, pressed * 1/4 c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded * 1 Lrg. Cooking Pot, with lid * Knife * Cutting board * Measuring cups & measuring spoons * Lrg. Cooking Spoon

Half a chicken breast; thawed-sliced-cubed.

1) In a large pot, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add chopped onion, celery, frozen veggie blend, garlic; and sauté until onions are softened & translucent.

Onion, garlic & celery softening in butter.

2) Open dry blend packet, pour over softened onion, garlic, celery - then stir in water, chicken pieces, and pea-carrot veggies; bring to a boil … then reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened.

Halved 4Patriots dry mix to serve a couple; chicken, peas & carrots.

Blend all ingredients; bring to a boil.

3) Turn off heat, sprinkle with shredded cheese - cover with lid, and let sit until the cheese melts; about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle cheese over thickened blend … cover with lid & let cheese melt.

4) Dish up, and enjoy!